The smattering of fintechs seeking bank charters has become a herd.
In just the last six weeks, Square opened a new bank, LendingClub completed its acquisition of Radius Bancorp, Brex applied to open an insured depository and, most recently, SoFi announced a deal to purchase a small California bank to accelerate its quest for a charter.
The tech-fueled upstarts all have different business plans, and they typically have different motivations for seeking a charter. The path they have chosen can be affected by what they prioritize; the benefits of having a bank include getting direct access to the payment system, the ability to use deposits as a low-cost source of funds and the authority to preempt state lending laws.
Whatever their motivations, the fintechs have seized a moment in which industry watchers believe that regulators are likely to receive their applications favorably. That window of opportunity could close as President Biden appoints new leaders at key agencies.
Below is a look at seven fintechs seeking bank charters with the aim of challenging traditional banks more directly.